Method and means for preventing center wires from working out of a strand of a wire rope splice



1967 D. w. GATHMAN ETAL MEANS FOR PR METHO ND EVENTING CENTER WIRES FROM WOR Cr OUT OF A STRAND OF A WIRE ROPE SPLICE FilEd Sept. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Dav/'0 M4 Gamma/7 Char/es A. Faster United States Patent 3,295,309 METHOD AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING CEN- TER WIRES FROM WORKING OUT OF A STRAND OF A WIRE ROPE SPLICE David W. Gathman, Williamsport, and Charles A.

Foster, Linden, Pa., assignors to Bethlehem Steel Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,714 6 Claims. (Cl. 57142) This invention relates to the splicing of two operation wire ropes. More particularly this invention relates to securing the inner operation of a two-operation wire strand to the outer operation in the vicinity of a splice.

Two-operation strand is strand made in two wire laying operations, the first of which lays one layer or operation of wires about a center wire and the second of which lays a second layer or operation ofwires with the same or a dilferent length lay about the first operation. As described more fully in US. Patent No. 3,017,739 to Gathman, one of the present inventors, the making of some splices in wire rope composed of two-operation strands involves severing and removing the inner operation of each strand before tying or otherwise securing the remaining outer operation of the strand in a tuck of the splice. The removal of the inner operation or center makes the strand less bulky and allows it to be tied together with an opposite strand or wrapped about the core of the rope without unduly increasing the bulk of the rope at the tuck. Where the completed splice is subjected to bending stresses, however, ditficulty has often been encountered with the remaining severed end of the inner operation working its way between the outer operation wires. If the inner operation works to the outside of the strand it may snub on a sheave or other external structure and be stripped bodily from the rope, causing a complete disruption of the rope structure and consequent failure of the rope. The inner operation or center portion of the strand is particularly likely to force its way out of the strand as the outer operation wires of the strand become Worn with use.

It is an object of this invention therefore to secure an inner operation to an outer operation of a wrie strand to prevent the inner operation from working out of the strand.

In the present invention the inner operation of a twooperation strand is secured to the outer operation by means of a thin compressed metallic sleeve which encircles the inner operation and several adjacent wires of the outer operation next to the core of the rope being spliced.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows an isometric view of an end of a two-operation strand with the wires of the outer operation unlaid;

FIGURE 2 shows the strand of FIGURE 1 with a length of the inner operation wires severed and removed and a metallic sleeve being slipped over the end of the remaining section of inner operation wires and several adjacent wires of the outer operation;

FIGURE 3 shows the still uncompressed sleeve in place and the wires of the outer operation laid up again;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a compression tool being applied to the strand shown in FIGURE 3 at the location of the metallic sleeve;

FIGURE 5 shows the section of FIGURE 4 after being compressed by closing the compression tool;

FIGURE 6 shows the strand of FIGURE 3 after completion by compression as in FIGURES 4 and 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the compressed strand of FIGURES 5 and 6 positioned in a wire rope showing how the outer operation wires around which the steel sleeve passes are positioned next to the core of the rope.

A two-operation nineteen wire strand 11 is shown in FIGURE 1 with the outer operation wires, designated in toto as 13, partially unlaid from about the inner operation 15. A portion 17 of the inner operation 15 is cut off without tapering the remaining section of the inner operation and removed as shown in FIGURE 2. It is next carefully determined which four outer operation wires will be located next to the core of the wire rope as the strand 11 is laid up in a rope and these four outer operation wires 19 are gathered together as shown in FIGURE 2. A thin metallic sleeve 21, which for a one inch diameter rope may suitably comprise a round .272 inch inside diameter, by .292 inch outside diameter, by three-eighths inch long sleeve, or, for a one and onequarter inch rope, a .332 inch inside diameter, by .352 inch outside diameter, by one half inch long sleeve, composed of annealed C-1015 steel, is next placed over the inner operation 15 and the four adjacent outer operation wires 19. The sleeve 21 is possitioned over but close to the end of the severed inner operation as shown in FIG- URE 3.

After the steel sleeve 21 is positioned the outer opration wires 13 including the four selected adjacent wires 19 are again laid in position about the inner operation 15 as shown in FIGURE 3 as close to their original laid-up position as possible. The jaws of a compression tool 23 are next placed over the relaid strand at the location of metallic sleeve 21 as shown in section in FIGURE 4 and closed until the strand and sleeve are compressed into the form shown in section in FIGURE 5 and in isometric view in FIGURE 6 which shows the completed strand. The laid-up wires 13 of the outer operation act in concert to hold the thin metallic sleeve compressed and secured about the four adjacent wires 19 of the outer operation so as to secure the inner operation within the outer operation sufficiently firmly to prevent the inner operation from working out between the outer operation wires 13. The thin metallic sleeve also serves to restrain the inner operation from working out after the outer wires have worn away-a frequent occurrence in actual practice.

Alternatively a special compression tool with a suitably formed out of round compression orifice may be used to compress the sleeve 21 about the inner operation 15 and the four outer operation wires 19 before the remaining outer operation wires 13 are relaid about the sleeve in final position. Ordinarily, however, it is preferred to first relay all the wires and then simultaneously compress the entire strand into final form.

As shown in section in FIGURE 7 the relaid strand 11 is laid up into a rope 25 of which it is a component so that the section of metallic sleeve 21 which is over adjacent strands 19 is positioned on the inside of the strand next to core 27 where it is protected from wear. In this way as the outer wires of the strand on the outside of the rope wear the inner operation 15 remains secured in the center of the strand. The remaining reduced diameter section 29 of strand 11 from which the inner operation has been removed may then be tucked as described in prior Patent No. 3,017,739 or in any other suitable manner.

It will be understood that although the present invention has been described with respect to a two operation nineteen wire strand and illustrated in FIGURE 7 as part of a 6 x 19 wire rope it may be advantageously used in connection with any splice wherein a group of inner wires in a strand is severed to reduce bulk or for other purposes and has a tendency to work out of the inside of the strand or otherwise alter its most desirable position in the strand. It will also be understood that the dimensions and characteristics of the sleeve will be varied to suit the particular strands of the rope being spliced and more or less than four outer operation wires may be compressed in the sleeve with the inner operation as proves most suitable.

We claim:

1. A method of securing the inner operation of a two operation strand at a splice in which a portion of the inner operation has been severed and removed comprising:

(a) placing a metal sleeve over the inner operation wires and one or more outer operation wires close to the point of severance of said inner operation,

(b) laying the remaining outer operation wires about the inner operation Wires and surrounding sleeve, and

(c) compressing the strand at the location of the sleeve to compress the sleeve and secure the inner operation within the outer operation.

2. A method of securing the inner operation of a two operation strand at a splice in a wire rope in which a portion of the inner operation is severed and removed comprising:

(a) unlaying the outer operation wires,

(b) severing the inner operation wires and removing a portion of the inner operation,

(c) placing a thin metal sleeve over the inner operation wires and several adjacent outer operation wires of the portion of the strand adjacent the core of the rope close to the point of severance of the inner operation,

((1) compressing the sleeve about the inner operation wires and several adjacent outer operation wires to secure the inner and outer operation wires together,

(e) relaying the remaining outer operation wires about the inner operation wires and surrounding compressed sleeve.

3. A method of securing the inner operation wires of a 19 wire two operation strand having 7 inner operation wires and 12 outer operation wires at a splice in a wire rope in which a portion of the inner operation is severed and removed prior to tucking comprising:

(a) unlaying the 12 outer operation wires of the strand,

(b) severing the 7 inner operation wires and removing a portion of the inner operation,

(c) placing a thin metal sleeve over the inner operation wires and 4 adjacent outer operation wires adjacent the core of the rope close to the point of severance of said inner operation,

(d) relaying the remaining 8 outer operation wires about the inner operation and the sleeve in substantially normal position, and

(e) compressing the strand at the location of the sleeve to bind together the 7 inner operation and 4 outer operation wires to secure the inner operation within the outer operation.

4, A method of securing the core portion of a multiple layer wire strand at a tuck in a splice of a wire rope in which a portion of the center of the multilayered wire strand is severed and removed prior to tucking comprising:

(a) unlaying the wires of the outer layers of the multiple layer strand,

(b) severing and removing a core portion of the multilayered strand,

(c) placing a thin sleeve over the core portion and several adjacent wires of the outer layers of the strand on the inner portion thereof close to the point of severance of the core,

(d) relaying the wires of the outer layers of the multiple layer strand into substantially normal position about the core of the strand and the sleeve, and

(e) compressing the strand at the location of the sleeve to compress the sleeve and secure the core to the outer wires of the multilayered strand.

5. In a tuck in a wire rope splice a structure comprising:

(a) a two-operation strand,

(b) the inner operation ending just prior to the tuck,

(c) a compressed metal sleeve surrounding and securing together the inner operation and several adjacent wires of the outer operation close to the end of the inner operation and adjacent the core of the rope,

(d) the outer operation wires being normally disposed about the inner operation and compressed metal sleeve.

6. In a tuck in a wire rope an arrangement comprising:

(a) a two-operation 19 wire strand,

(b) the inner operation of 7 wires ending just prior to the tuck,

(c) a compressed steel sleeve surrounding and securing together the 7 wires of the inner operation and 4 adjacent wires of the outer operation close to the end of the inner operation and next to the core of the wire rope, and

(d) the remaining outer operation wires being normally disposed about the inner operation and compressed steel sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 826,063 7/1906 Reid 57142 878,916 2/1908 Wally 57142 1,651,339 11/1927 Carney 57-142 3,118,273 1/1964 Lucht 57142 FRANK COHEN, Primary Examiner.

D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

5. IN A TUCK IN A WIRE ROPE SPLICE A STRUCTURE COMPRISING: (A) A TWO-OPERATION STRAND, (B) THE INNER OPERATION ENDING JUST PRIOR TO THE TUCK, (C) A COMPRESSED METAL SLEEVE SURROUNDING AND SECURING TOGETHER THE INNER OPERATION AND SEVERAL ADJACENT WIRES OF THE OUTER OPERATION CLOSE TO THE END OF THE INNER OPERATION AND ADJACENT THE CORE OF THE ROPE, (D) THE OUTER OPERATION WIRES BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED ABOUT THE INNER OPERATION AND COMPRESSED METAL SLEEVE. 